10 Worst NBA Trades of All-Time: Will Shaq To Suns Ever Join This List?

NBA trades have often set organizations back 10 years in progress while sending the other team to pick up bright shinny rings each summer on a regular basis. Sometimes you hardly even notice these moves when they occur, but in retrospect you can't fathom the rationale.

Shaquille O'Neal's trade to the Phoenix Suns has conjured up some very strong opinions and many believe it has the potential to make this list in the future.

I still have mixed feelings. Phoenix is taking a considerable risk that Shaq has some healthy playoff games left, but if the Diesel is motivated by winning basketball this could very well end up in another NBA Championship and potentially putting the trade below for inverse reasoning.

With this big blockbuster in mind, here the 10 NBA trades that turned into the biggest busts of all-time.

1. 1996—Hornets traded Kobe Bryant to the Lakers for Vlade Divac.

If you judge success based on the ability to consume two cartons of cigarettes a day and still function athletically, then maybe you don't view this trade as being all that lopsided. On top of Vlade's remarkable lungs, he only played two seasons for then the Charlotte Hornets averaging 11.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg. Kobe on the other hand has averaged 24.8 ppg so far during his Lakers career. He has won three NBA titles, is a 10-time All-Star, nine-time All-NBA, two-time NBA scoring champion, and has several good years left.

Worst.Trade.Ever.

2. 1980 Draft—Celtics traded their first overall for Robert Parrish and the Warriors' third pick in exchange for Joe Barry Carroll and Ricky Brown. Boston eventually chose Kevin McHale with that third pick.

I'm judging most of these worst trades by the championship success of those players that changed hands. This is a tricky one to add as it wasn't a direct trade, but regardless, Golden State not only botched on Parrish but they also missed badly on their draft choice. Parrish and McHale would go on to win three NBA titles with the Celtics and had 16 All-Star game appearances between the two. Golden State is, well, Golden State.

3. 1998—Mavericks traded Robert Traylor to the Bucks for Dirk Nowitzki.

Who knows how Nowitzki would have turned out playing for the Bucks all these years, but this remains one of the worst draft day trades of all time. Nowitzki just racked up his first NBA MVP award to add to his seven All-NBA teams and seven All-Star appearances.

Meanwhile, "Tractor" Traylor was recently sentenced to three years probationfor his role in doing money laundering for a big-time drug trafficker. But hey, at least he's still playing professionally in Puerto Rico. Cockfights are better than Dallas.

4. 1992—76ers traded Charles Barkley to the Suns for Andrew Lang, Tim Perry and Jeff Hornacek.

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